Under Armour SpeedForm running shoe review

Men, admit it, you are dieing to know what it would feel like to wear a bra. What would that soft supple fabric feel like pressed up against your hairy man chest? Well, unless you are going to buy a Bro or Manssiere, you will be waiting a little bit longer for that bra feeling against your chest. But, in the meantime, you could take in how Under Armour applies the bra concept to their latest running shoe, SpeedForm.

Every triathlete is out there looking for the perfect combination of comfort, affordability, performance, durability and aesthetics when it comes to running shoes. Some have more money to explore the latest and greatest shoes and some have their tried and true $35 pair of specific brands and models that they live and die by.

There are so many choices between minimalists, lightweight, stability, motion control, neutral and a heck of a lot more. The best bet is to get your feet measured at your local running store and start trying shoes out. If you have some cash to invest in your health, another layer of picking the right shoe would be to hit your local chiropractor or sports exercise specialists for some screening and gait analysis to find out your foot structure and what types of shoes would best fit your feet. That would at least arm you with ammunition to start with the right shoe section.

That being said, SpeedForm might not be the shoe for you. They are not motion control nor are the stability control. Unless you are working with good form or have been slowly progressing to lightweight running shoes, they may cause some issues for you.

But don’t let that scare you away. Under Armour sent us a pair of electric blue SpeedForms and we are far from minimalist shoe wearers. We tried them out with caution and didn’t just go out for a 15 mile training run. We wore them to the store, to church, treadmill workouts, indoor track workouts, paved trail runs and street running. We also sported them at the Shawnee Mission Triathlon and after all that (and 4.5 miles of nasty heal strike during the race), we have the follow review to share. Read on.

 

Packaging / Shelf Appeal / Marketing

“This is what fast feels like”. That’s a bold statement for a shoe box. Under Armour is out there and has no qualms about putting themselves out there. The box is huge, and they probably need that for the size of the ego that the shoes bring with the product line roll out. They are pimping these shoes hard and don’t spare any marketing expense.

Even with size 12 for this review, the box size wasn’t required to be that huge, but that’s the way they come.

As one would expect from a big sportswear manufacturer, the appearance and packaging is nothing short of professional and top notch. You definitely won’t confuse these shoes with something made in someone’s knitting room during their spare time. You probably wouldn’t connect these shoes to a bra manufacturing process just from the packaging.

Form / Construction

UA boasts that SpeedForms are a new type of running shoe with virtually no seams that’s made in a bra factory in China. The Speedform’s heel cup is devoid of any stitching and is made from one piece of material.

From their site, they post the following description about the science and construction of the SpeedForms;

• Seamless heel cup for anatomical fit 
• Silicone heel grip 
• Smooth, ultrasonic seaming 
• Micro G cushioning in the heel 
• Molded 4D Foam footbed 
• UA Light Speed Grip is strategically placed on outsole for the ultimate in ultra-lightweight traction 
• 6 mm drop 
• Super-lightweight: 6 oz.

Upon inspection, the shoe looks sharp and well put together. There are no sloppy seams and transition from soul to footbed. It’s what they claim in the sense of seamless. There are no insoles to take out (those that use orthotics might be out of luck with the SpeedForms as there is no extra room to be made by removing the factory insole). It’s super light, but comes as basically one piece and feels solid.

The fabric is bendable, foldable and malleable to many different shapes and contortions, but bounces back with no problem, even after being stuffed into a gym bag for a few days.

Honestly, it’s nothing like any type of shoe we have typically ran in. Soft and supple, but strong and manly all at once. Kind of like, “strong enough for a man, but made for women”.

Fashion / Appearance

It harkens to the five-finger shoes and toe socks from the toe box, but inside the shoe is the same shape we triathletes have always been used to. There are no toes in the shoe, and it’s all one open toe box.

The bottom of the soul is a unique design that takes after the natural foot layout rather than some funky scientifically developed pattern that delivers some magic energy savings. Mother nature made out feet for a reason, and that original design might be worth keeping.

The shoes are appealing in a shock value kind of way. The colors are not wild, but they are a little neon and do stand out in a crowd. Yes, we wore them to church to break them in at the request of our five year old daughter, and they got some looks.

They are clean, simple and functional in appearance. There’s no excessive and inordinate amount of symbols and logos on the shoes. There are no overcompensation for shiny baubles on the design to distract buyers from a lame duck shoe design, because as we will get to, SpeedForms deliver.

Fit / Function

The SpeedForms really do feel different than any other shoe we have tried. It’s akin to water socks that you can run in, except these won’t blister you up (as long as you wear socks).

They hug around the ankle, but not in a Aunt Betty-haven’t-seen-you-in 10 years kind of way. It’s firm, but not constrictive. The toe box is a little on the big side, but that didn’t cause us a problem overall.

In full disclosure, with these being along the lines of lightweight running shoes, most workouts or runs at a time were less than 5 miles and usually sprint intervals, hill intervals, tempo runs or strength training sessions. The SpeedForms were used for 2 workouts per week and worn casually in between for a total of around 50 miles for this review.

There were no issues with traction on the running surface or within the shoe with the foot slipping around. When laced up, the SpeedForms were as good as it gets to having a running shoe feel like a second skin. Now, we did use running socks and anti-chafing cream for longer runs. For the Shawnee Mission Triathlon, we used the Belaga socks we tested out with anti-chafing and they worked great in the heat and on the hills of the park.

We actually loved the SpeedForms for the short fast paced runs. The runs are short enough not to cause issues with fallen arches and the shoes are so light and airy feeling that it makes a runner want to bust out a fast pace.

One issue with the SpeedForms is the tongue. It’s a one-piece integrated design, and with the special fabric type, it is ultra-thin and easily bunches in the shoe if put on with the laces pre-tied. In order to avoid that annoying tongue scrunching and rubbing, wearers need to put a little more effort into pulling the tongue tight and getting the kinks out. While going out for a run or out and about, this wouldn’t be a real issue, but during a triathlon jamming on the shoes trying to get out of T2 asap, it might cause a slow down.

Foot cadence is not affected, and in fact is probably an aid to those looking to increase their foot turnover. At 6 oz, it’s lock wearing a thick pair of socks running around, but with a little more protection.

Another detraction might be the ease at which the shoes can get scuffed up. The fabric is different than the typical running shoes and attract scuffs and marks similar to regular light clothing. All in all, the SpeedForms stay relatively clean, but when the 5 and 2 year old kids stomp on your feet trying to get you to pick them up, they leave marks. Those darn crumb snatchers.

One last drawback might be sweaty feet. It took a little time to get used to the shoes as they do not feel as breathable as the standard running shoes. The lack of mesh is a loss in breathability, but SpeedForms have the holes for getting rid of foot heat. After wearing them for a few days, we got used to the change and foot sweating was not an issue.

Cost

At $119.99, SpeedForms are not cheap.

Savvy buyers can go find lightweight running shoes for $50 or even less, but the adage is true that you get what you pay for. You will not get the fit and feeling that the SpeedForms offer. You won’t get them even with the $100 shoes. The SpeedForms are truly different.

Final thoughts

Now, whether that difference is a good fit for everyone is up for debate. They are lightweight shoes and that does not work for everyone. Don’t injure yourself trying to fit into a cool shoe. But, even if you use stability shoes for your staple trainer and race shoe, there’s nothing that says using the SpeedForm for 1 or 2 workouts a week won’t actually improve foot strength by making it compensate for short periods of time to build strength up in areas not normally used with regular shoes. Just be smart about it. Don’t drop your motion control cold turkey and switch to SpeedForm all at once. Slow and steady transition.

Really, you won’t find many shoes like the SpeedForms. That’s where they have you on price. If you want that special feeling, you’re going to have to pay for it. They have the right combination of function, fit and personality.

We’ve used them in training, racing and casual wear and they work in all scenarios, admirably. If you have the funds, by all means try them out. They can serve as your trainer, racer and cross training shoe any day of the week.

Disclaimer

* Writer's note - Under Armour provided the products for this review at no cost and did not influence this review.

2013 Jackson County Triathlon and Duathlon event review

August 18, 2013, saw the Jackson County Triathlon and Duathlon go off without a hitch. Cool morning air gave way to a wetsuit legal swim with water temperatures hovering around 75 degrees and air temperature reaching the low 80’s as the last racers crossed the finish line.

The skies were clear all day as racers enjoyed one of the most mild August days in recent Kansas City history. Traditionally hot times of the year for the Midwest gave way to almost cold conditions to start the race.

The Jackson County Triathlon was under new ownership as the former Race Director helped indoctrinate Elite Cycles into the world of event management. Triathletes and duathletes finished the race in high spirits with overwhelming positive views on the race and management.

The Jackson County Triathlon and Duathlon hosted 3 courses.

The Long Course - Results
Swim: 1.5 KM
Bike: 40 KM
Run: 5 Miles

The Short Course - Results
Swim: 750 Meters
Bike: 11.75 Miles
Run: 3.1 Miles

The Duathlon - Results
Run #1: 1.4 Miles
Bike: 11.75 Miles
Run #2: 3.1 Miles

After the morning dew evaporated and the last triathlete was across the line, your favorite Endurance Sports Examiner writer toed the line. Below is what we thought about the 2013 Jackson County Triathlon and Duathlon.

The Price

If triathletes got in for early bird pricing, they only paid $75 to race and distance. Waiting until the last minute shot the price up to $125. Overall this is the median with most local triathlons around Kansas City. Some of the Johnson County Parks and Recreation events are a little less, but the larger events are more such as the Kansas 5150 and Kansas City triathlons.

Packet Pickup

Packet pickup was moved to Elite Cycles. This location is more central to most racers and offered the opportunity to purchase last minute gear for athletes. With three chances to get your packet, athlete should not have had an issue getting their race info and packet.

The event organizers decided to hand out shirts at the finish line, so athletes came away with some coupons, a copy of LAVA magazine, swim cap and race number bib. It’s a double-edged sword as some would complain about not getting a huge goodie bag of samples, but more often than not, most of the coupons and postcard flyers go into the trash and few samples get used. It’s better than the “virtual” goodie bag, but less than the full-on goodie bag other events might supply.

Web Site / Instructions / Course Info

The website was easy to navigate and direct. It supplied course and event information and directly gets athletes to registration. Course maps were linked and athletes didn’t really leave the site with a want for more information.

The event had a Facebook page and posted occasional updates on the event and requests for volunteers. Most of the communication went through the Elite Cycle email newsletter address. Gone was the Midwest Triathlon Series email list that organizers had used in the past. If racers were not signed up and were not on Elite Cycles’ newsletter email list, they might not have heard about the event if they were a first year participant.

Most questions posted on the Facebook page were answered quickly and most racers didn’t have any complaints about the dissemination of information.

Location / Parking / Access

Parking can be dicey for this event at the Longview Lake swim beach. If rain had come across the day before, parking in the grass could have been a mud run. Luckily, mud was not an issue and as long as athletes showed up at a decent time before the race, it would have only been a 10 minute walk to transition to set up.

Longview Lake has been home to this for most of it’s existence. The swim beach is a perfect location with access to water, roads and trails for the run. The exit and entrance for biking can be somewhat bottle-necked, but as long as athletes were cautious, it was not a problem.

The entrance into the swim beach and transition access parking closed at the start of the race, so if spectators arrived after that, they had to park on the main road and walk.

Port-a-potties

There were 15 to 20 port-a-potties for the event. The lines remained somewhat short and wait time was not as much of an issue. The longest wait was around 10 minutes.

The Actual Course

Sections of the bike course have been recently paved, but there are portions of the bike course that are in serious need of paving. But, that’s not something the race organizers can exactly control.

The wooden bridge is still there, and some athletes were still worried, but to our knowledge everyone made it across safely and no accidents at the bridge were reported.

On every turn, police and radio operators stood watch to help keep riders on the right path. The turns would have been hard to miss.

The swim was changed up a little due to low water levels, and the change going further into the lake made it a little difficult to sight into the sun with race buoys, permanent pencil buoys, lifeguards and wave runners. At times is was hard to find the next correct buoy to swim to and where to turn. Overall it wasn’t a huge issue even with some noise from swimmers that the course might have been a little long. In the end, all swimmers swam the same distance, so it was an equal race.

On the long course run, the aid stations were appropriately spaced, however, if there had been more racers, the 2 to 3 volunteers per station would have been overwhelmed handing out water and energy gels. Luckily the temperatures stayed below 80 for the majority of the race and hydration was not a key issue.

The crushed gravel path was in great shape after decent rains in the area the week before the race. Athletes had no issues with running the trails.

The turn-arounds were well marked with cones and markings to let runners know where to head back to the finish line.

Race Day Instructions

The announcer kept in constant contact with racers and spectators. The speakers were appropriately turned up and facing the athletes and start area so you could hear and understand the directions from most anywhere around the start area.

They did need to make a few more announcements about racer meeting starting on the swim beach. The meeting started and if racers were not paying attention, they might have missed the athlete meeting before the race on the beach.

Finish Line

The finish line was a truss with a timing clock counting down the time. There were volunteers cheering people into the finish line through the cones and banners as the announcer reeled off names of finishers.

Volunteers grabbed timing chips off racers’ ankles, handed out finisher shirts and beer mugs and sent athletes towards the grub and drinks.

Bananas, grapes, beer, water, sports drinks, pop and a few other assorted foods awaited finishers. Athletes should not have had an issue finding something to quench their thirst or hunger after racing the short, long or duathlon courses.

A few triathlon clubs had tents set up at the post race area, but overall it was utilitarian of providing post-race sustenance and getting athletes from finish line back to transition to pack up and head home.

Elite Cycles hosted an awards ceremony for the top 5 men and women at each course with gift certificates and then a drawing for several pieces of gear. The aim was to have racers stay around for camaraderie after the event and the ceremony and giveaway provided a little more incentive for athletes to hang around after the finish.

Overall Impressions

The 2013 Jackson County Triathlon and Duathlon is under new ownership of Elite Cycles. They employed the previous race director to get them over the hump of running a bike shop to event organizers.

Most athletes appeared to have a great time and didn’t have many negative comments. It should be interesting to see which direction the event goes. Will they become more flashy like Ironman type events with medals, sign-up shirts and finishers shirts? Will prices go up?

Hopefully the new ownership means bigger and better things on an otherwise already solid event at the same budget friendly prices. Time will tell.

September 2013 Kansas City area running races

September 15 @ 7:30 am Plaza 10K Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, MO    The Plaza 10K is the area's LARGEST 10K. With a course running along Brush Creek and through the Country Club Plaza, the Plaza 10K offers a flat, fast course where you are sure to set a PR! After the 10K there will be a 2 mile fun run/walk and kids run. The event benefits Kids TLC whose mission is to provide opportunities that transform kids and families in crisis while ensuring a safe environment. Register to help their cause. Participants will receive a shirt, large finisher's medal, great food and drinks provided by KC restaurants while enjoying LIVE MUSIC!

September Races

September 2 @ 7:30 am Leawood Labor Day 5K Leawood City Park, Leawood, KS Open to participants of all fitness levels - "Whether you're a veteran runner, a beginner, a wheelchair athlete or even a walker, this event is for you!" Get your family and friends to join you for the run. After the race, you can enjoy an "ALL YOU CAN EAT" pancake breakfast provided by the Leawood Lion's Club for no additional cost. Awards will be given to the top overall male and female and the top three in each age group.     September 7 @ 8 am On Your Mark 5K Paola High School Stadium, Paola, KS At the Paola High School Track, the On Your Mark 5K will be a flat, fast course. This family-friendly event is open to runners and walkers of all abilities. In addition to the 5K, there will be a 3K walk, Heroes walk, and Kid's Run plus food and games! The event is hosted by Heads Up Brain Injury Support which provides support and services to those with brain injury, their families and caregivers. Participate in the event to support this cause! September 7 @ 8 am Strut for the Streaks 5K Blue Valley Recreation Complex, Overland Park, KS The 3rd annual Strut for the Streaks 5K benefits the Blue Valley Blue Streaks - the local Special Olympics team. There will be a 5K run/walk as well as a 1 Mile Fun Run. The 5K course is certified and chip-timed. Participants will receive a shirt and FREE POST-RACE BREAKFAST. Awards will be given to top overall, top masters, and age groups. September 7 @ 8 am Run Fast Eat Slow 5K Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO Run in the third annual 5K run/walk at Powell Gardens! There will be a competitive, timed 5K followed by a non-competitive trail trek, and you are welcome to run in both. The course will take you through the beautiful Powell Gardens with views of the lake. After participating in the run enjoy garden-fresh snacks and all-day access to the gardens! September 8 @ 7 am Broadway Bridge Run Half Marathon, 10K, 5K City Market, Kansas City, MO The 2012 Broadway Bridge Run tied for third place as the Best Organized Foot Race/Run in The Pitch's Best of KC. 2013 will be even better! The route starts in historic City Market; from the scenic course you can see the Broadway Bridge, the Charles B. Wheeler Airport, and the downtown skyline. With different length courses, this is a race for all running levels. The event raises funds for Special Olympics activities in Missouri.    September 21 @ 7 am  Roots N Blues N BBQ Half Marathon and 10K Flat Branch Park, Columbia, MO Be a part of the Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival by running the half marathon or 10K while enjoying great music along the course! Delicious BBQ and drinks will be awaiting you at the finish line! All finishers will get a finisher's medal. Participants will also receive a collector's shirt and 50% discount on tickets to the festival. Check out the website to see the complete lineup of festival artists.  September 21 @ 7:30 am  Dot 2 Dot 5K, 10K Corporate Woods, Overland Park, KS The 7th annual Paulina Cooper Dot to Dot Run/walk will take you through Corporate Woods on the 10K or 5K course. This race is named after Paulina Cooper who battled a brain tumor at the age of 5 while remaining "brave, peaceful, comforting and wise." Her ability to connect is the inspiration behind the name, participate in the event to "connect the dots" with others. Proceeds from this event are donated to pediatric brain tumor research.  September 21 @ 8 am  Flee the Flu 5K Historic Downtown Square, Independence, MO Participate in the first annual Flee the Flu 5K run/walk! Hosted by the Jackson County Health department and Truman Medical Centers (TMC), the 5K event is open to ages 8 and older. After the 5K, there will be a fun run for kids ages 8 and under. Every participant will get a free flu vaccination and event t-shirt. Fight the flu in fun way this September! September 22 @ 8:30 am  Free to Breathe 5K Village of Seville Shopping Center, Leawood, KS The Free to Breathe 5K hopes to double lung cancer survival! Participate in the event to give support to lung cancer survivors, those fighting it and their family and friends. The beautiful, tree-lined 5K course runs through the Leawood South Golf Course. The 5K will be followed by a Kids' Dash. Face painting and other family-friendly activities will be available. All participants will receive a t-shirt and can participate in a silent auction with items from local businesses! September 22 @ 8:30 am  Panera Diabetes Dash for Life 5K Panera Bread, Town Center, Leawood, KS Participate in the first annual Diabetes Dash for Life 5K! The event is presented by Panera Bread and benefits the local chapter of JDRF - funding research to cure Type I Diabetes. The certified 5K course runs through Town Center and surrounding neighborhoods in Leawood. Awards will be given to the overall male and female and the top three males and females in each age group. September 22 @ 8 am  BIGGSteps 5K University of Kansas Edward's Campus, Overland Park, KS The inaugural BIGGSteps 5K is a fundraiser for the Sean D. Biggs Memorial Foundation which raises awareness of the causes and prevention of cancer, assists those affected by cancer, and supports cancer research. Participate in the 5K to be a part of the foundation's mission. The scenic course starts at the University of Kansas Edward's Campus in Overland Park. In addition to the 5K race, there will be a 1-Mile fun run and a Kids' Dash.     September 28 @ 8 am Pony Express Run 10K, 5K Pony Express Museum, St. Joseph, MO The Pony Express Run starts and finishes at the Pony Express Museum. The courses will take you through downtown St. Joseph with the 10K course running through the Remington Nature Center. Participants will receive a shirt, food and drinks and fun activities after the race! The race is hosted by the Junior League of St. Joseph along with the JDRF; proceeds will help the Junior League to make positive changes in the St. Joseph community and the JDRF to improve lives and cure type I diabetes. September 29 @ 8 am  Regalia Run 5K UMKC Volker Campus, Kansas City, MO Support UMKC students by participating in the Regalia 5K run/walk. Children can participate in the kids' Kangaroo Hop! The course runs through the heart of UMKC's Volker Campus and the race is followed by the "Graduation" Block Party! This family-friendly event benefits UMKC students by providing scholarships. All participants will receive a finisher's tassle! September 29 @ 8 am  Charlie's House 5K Home Run for Safety Community America Ballpark, Kansas City, KS The Charlie's House 5K starts and finishes at the T-Bones Community America Ballpark. Following the 5K, there will be a kids' fun run starting on the field! Proceeds from this event benefit Charlie's House, an organization whose mission is to prevent injuries to children in and around the home. Support this cause and their ultimate goal of opening a safety demonstration home and training facility in the Kansas City area where caregivers can experience firsthand how to safety-proof their homes.

X-1 Momentum In-Ear Ultra Light Headphones Review

If your gym is like 99.99% of the gyms in the US, they have shortwave FM transmitters hooked up to TV’s or jacks on the cardio equipment so you can get your ESPN highlights or Good Morning America forecast while grinding out a sprint workout on the dreadmill or an hour on the spin bike. You can also always bring the ubiquitous iPod or smartphone and jam out on the ‘mill, pumping iron or spinning to nowhere.

You could also bring your tunes on the road, but that not recommended for biking and some frown upon it for running since it makes you less aware of your surroundings.

Heck, these days you could even bring them to the pool with the latest waterproof gadgets and phone cases.

But, how do you get the sound from your device to your ears? There’s earbuds, sports headphones that have hooks to go around your ears and if you’re really daring, full on headphones. If you have used any of the like, then no doubt you have experienced a myriad of issues with keeping those darned earphones in place.

A short list might include;

• Don’t fit in ear comfortably.
• Give out due to sweat in the casing.
• Sound horrible.
• Keeps falling out of ear.
• Allows sweat to flow down the earpiece into your ear.
• Flopping wires get in your way.
• Wires aren’t long enough.

Whatever you have had issues with, we have, too. That’s why when we were approached by X-1 to put a set of their in-ear headphones to the test, we were a little skeptical.

Specifically, X-1 sent us the Momentum In-Ear Ultra Light Headphones to sweat on, twist up into a knotted wire ball and stuff in a gym bag for a few weeks. Did they take a lick and keep on ticking? Do they fall out of your ear at the first sign of movement and perspiration? Read on to find out.

Packaging / Shelf Appeal / Marketing

When you find the X-1 Momentums on the shelf or get them in the mail, they come in a very professionally package/box with the ubiquitous picture of the likes of the Ridiculously Photogenic Guy sporting the earphones. There’s a shot of the actual earphones on the outside cover and it’s all a very nice presentation.

The nice aspect of the X-1 package is being able to flip open the cover and see the actual earphones and extra equipment in the box. The kit includes 4 ear tip sizes to provide a customizable fit. Tearing open the box and breaking the earphones out for use takes only a matter of seconds and then you are off and running, literally.

Form / Construction

The Momentums are designed to withstand heavy perspiration and in all types of weather and can be rinsed after use. They are rated at an IPX Rating of IP4. Upon initial inspection, the earphones, cords and ear pieces are all of solid construction and all parts and pieces fit with no open seams of sloppy finishes.

The cord is retro-reflective and labeled as tangle free. It should illuminate with light for extra visibility and safety while working out or running in low light. It has the consistency of braided wire, which stands out from the typical smooth wires most headphones come with. It actually aids in keeping the wires under control allowing easier maneuvering since you can get a better grip with the cords are wet and slippery.

In-line remote is iPod and iPhone compatible, allowing control of volume and playback, as well as placing or receiving calls and activating SIRI. It has 3 main buttons. No one wants a smartphone style option display on a headphone cord, so 3 large buttons is as far as should go. The remote is also an inline mic and doubles for controls that come with an Apple approved MFi chip to give you hands free access to some of the deeper features in your iPhone (sorry Android users).

Fashion / Appearance

If the black set we tested doesn’t float your boat, then try any of their dozens of color combinations to fit your needs. If matching your gear is an issue, X-1 has those bases covered. Variety is not an issue here.

The actual headphone part that connects to the earpiece is surprisingly smaller than most other earbuds we have used or tested. It’s sleek and compact to fit in an athlete’s ear better than other models.

When you look at the entire outfit, from ear piece to cord to jack, it all fits. No one piece looks like an odd man out. No one wants to see a spoiler on a 1985 Buick Regal. It just doesn’t look right. Not the issue with the Momentum headphones.

Fit / Function

X-1 boasts that the Momentums provide:

• Give or Answer a Siri Command
• Phone Controls
• Music, Audio Books and Video Controls
• Sweatproof + Rinsable - PX Rating - IP4
• Secure Fit for Athletes

The earbuds come with 4 different interchangeable ear tips, so you are bound to find one that fits snugly in your ear. Some triathletes have small ear canals and some have ears large enough to jam a corncob into. What? Yea. One size does not fit all and the Momentums know that.

After a couple of weeks of runs, spin rides and strength sessions, they still work. There’s no distortion from moisture and they work as good as day one. That’s even after being in my gym bag, pockets, and wadded up in tangled little balls.

The braided style of cord is unique in the fact that when you wad it up, loop it up to pack or whatever you can do with headphone cords, it is so easy to untangle. You can grip it and it seems to resist getting in knots that cannot be undone.

With the Momentums being so compact, within 2 to 5 seconds after putting them in your ears, you forget that they are there. They fit snug and make a secure lock into the ear canal to filter out background noise so you can jam to your tunes uninterrupted.

For the most part, the Momentums stayed put in the ear canal. It finally took a brick workout on the last 10 minutes of a 90 minute session with profuse sweating to make the earbud slip out. The issue was fixed with a simple wipe down of the ear and earbud and back to sprint intervals you go.

The only other time that they might slip out or get pulled out is when the cord didn’t provide enough length to get from jack to ear. The cord length is pretty standard and could use a little more length when using with a smartphone and a spin bike, but that’s being pretty picky. They do have a clip to attach to your shirt or collar to minimize pull and flapping around, so there’s that.

Sadly, since we didn’t have an iPhone for this review, we only were able to test the Momentums on treadmill audio jacks, laptops, Samsung smartphone and a Samsung tablet. We are sure the iPhone controls work, but we were unable to test them out.

Cost

They are a little more costly than your average Wal-Mart generic headphones. At $49.99 on X-1’s site, they are probably $20 more than the generic brands, but not outrageous. Honestly they are probably a little less costly with some elbow grease on the web, but we’ll leave that search up to you.

All in all, for water resistant headphones, they are right in the sweet spot for sport headphones and for the quality and longevity that we have seen, that’s money well spent.

Final thoughts

When we were approached by X-1, we would be remiss in not revealing that we slightly rolled our eyes and said under our breathe, “ya right, another earbud that claims to not slide out at the first sign of sweat”.

Well, it took 4 weeks of wicked workouts to finally dislodge the Momentums and it was a quick 5 second fix to get them back in and keep them there. Profuse sweating will be an issue, but we challenge you to find any yearbud type headphone that would stay in longer.

These are way more comfortable than the headphones with hooks. The hooks may keep them on your ears, but the earbud to ear canal connection frankly stinks with most hook type headphones. The Momentums stay in just as well as the hooks and are more comfortable.

The sound is great and after getting raunchy sweat in them for weeks on end and rinsing on occasion, they still function great. For the money, they will last longer than buying cheap headphones and replacing when they die in the same amount of time.

X-1 Momentum’s get a thumbs up.

Disclaimer

* Writer's note - X-1 provided the products for this review at no cost and did not influence this review.

2013 Jackson County Triathlon long course recap - 8/18/13

It was race time once more in Kansas City for team ME!

As I wrote in my preview, I'm always looking to PR a race, but this year has been dedicated to the soul objective of Ironman Lake Tahoe in September.

So, I planned a lower volume training week to lead up to the JackCo Tri to allow some taper and some recovery to go all out at the race.  Treat it like a race, threshold training and an assessment of progress.  Simple enough, right?

Then right back into my largest volume week for IM training... no problem as I sit here with legs like jello.  ;)


ON TO THE RACE!

The Swim : GOAL was 17 minutes for 1000 meters... and I goofed since it was a 1500 meter race.  Duh.  So, around 1:40 min/100 gets around 25 minutes : ACTUAL was 29:16 for 1:47 min/100.

The swim was perfect conditions minus swimming into the sun, hard time disguishing between buoys, lifegaurds, boats and permanent pencil buoys while sighting.

It was a 2 loop and this year we didn't have to hit the beach for a Baywatch run back to the start.  We looped at the last buoy and it was perfect in that regard.

It was also wetsuit legal on August 18th due to unseanoable cool weather.  Score!

I also tried to turn around too early on the second loop and ended up wasting some time on that, but that's life in open water.  There's also the rumor that the swim was a little long, and most people thought their time was a little longer than it should have been.

But, everyone swam the same distance at the end.

I felt good.  Kept good technique and survived a goggle full of lake water for the first lap.  Success.

The Bike : GOAL was 1:15 : ACTUAL was 1:12:28 for 20.1 mph average

As I stated, bike speed has been sacrificed for higher cadence riding and focusing on being ready to run 26.2 miles after riding 112 miles.  I have not been putting the right work into creating more bike speed and it shows.  I knew that going into the race, but I was hoping the adrenaline would pull something out.  Guess not.

The Run : GOAL was 35 minutes for 5 miles : ACTUAL was 34:23 - bingo.

Cycling to run is an odd way to think about training, but ever since I shifted my mindset, I set a new PR with the reduction in bike speed, but increase in run speed.

Belting out 6:53 min miles is 30 seconds faster per mile than I have ran at this race.  I felt GOOD coming into T2 and left it out on the course and caught 4 to 5 racers in front of me.  A few years before and I would have staved them off on the bike, and been passed like a slug on the run.

This will have to serve as my victory for staying with my training plan.

Overall : GOAL was 2:11 plus 8 minutes for swim distance goof for 2:19.  ACTUAL was 2:19:29 with transitions.

Not a bad prediction.  Interesting that I lost on the swim and won on the bike guesses.

It was a great race and the cool temperatures definately helped myself and many others to the best race at that course.  Usually it's hot and muggy for this race, but this year was awesome.  Bring on more races like this!

And now, back to 4 hour runs and 7 hour bike rides... booo.  ;)

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2013 Jackson County Long Course Triathlon preview

So, we've got the last tune-up triathlon before Ironman Lake Tahoe.

The Jackson County triathlon is this Sunday and this marks the 8th straight year I've been racing this particular triathlon.  I started off at the sprint distance the first two years and moved to the long course the past 5 years.

I would go back and forth about past performances to compare to how I think I will do this weekend, but there had been glitches on the course that shorted some swims that throw off the finish times.

I'd like to think I have improved in my swimming, but to think I can swim 1000 meters in 8 minutes is a stretch in 2011.

I have improved in overall place each year, if that makes a difference.

In reality, my main objectives are...

Go all out, regardless of how I feel from the IM training workload.  This week is a built in low week, so it's sort of a taper, but not really.  There will probably be some lead in the legs.

And, to stay injury free.  No pulling anything and no crashing.  Good goals to have I guess.  ;)

What to expect on each leg.

Swim - 1000 meters - lets go with a solid below 2:00 per 100 meters.  My workouts average 1:45 to 1:50 in the pool with drills and rest time and without a wetsuit.  With the cool weather in KC of late, I'm hoping for wetsuit legal, but I have a Zoot speed suit just in case.  Lets say 1:40 for  17ish minutes for the two loop swim course.

Bike - My best time on the 26 miles is 1:10.  My speed is comparable to last year so far, so I'm not expecting a huge time savings here.  Lets go with 1:15 for some fudge factor.

Run - I've been feeling good about the run.  I'm hoping to at least match my best run time and pump out at least a 37 minute run.  Maybe feel super good and go for a 35 minute 5 miler.

So, give around 1:30 for each transition and add 3 minutes.

The total looks around 2:11 (let me know if my math is off).  That would be around my 2009 time.  It should be interesting.

In the end...

It's a fun course that's been a tradition for me.  The weather is looking to be perfect and maybe even a little chilly.  I'm looking forward to getting another event in to work out any kinks and try and give it everything I have to see what I can do with the extra training for IM Tahoe I have been putting in.

30 mph bike split?  7 min/mile run splits?

Probably not.  ;)

Check back in next week for results!

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August 2013 Kansas City Area races

August Calendar

Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon - October 19 October 19 is fast approaching!  Make sure you’re registered to participate in the Kansas City Marathon. Register today!  Kcmarathon.org Head for the Cure 5K Metro KC - August 25 August 25 is HFTC's 11th Annual Metro KC 5K event and this year will be the biggest year yet! Visit http://headforthecure.org/metro-kc/hftc-metro-kc to register to participate, volunteer, fundraise, and donate! Broadway Bridge Run - September 8 Broadway Bridge Run Half Marathon, 5K & 10K is September 8, 2013.  The race starts and ends in the City Market and provides a great view of the city as you cross the Broadway Bridge. Join the Kansas City Police Department's support of Special Olympics Missouri and sign up today! For more information visit http://www.broadwaybridgerun.org/ August events presented by Bank of Kansas City 10 Overland Park Farmstead Stampede 17 Buck O'Neil Baseball Youth Clinic 17 Rivalry Run: Kansas vs. Missouri 17 The Breakthrough 5K 24 35th Annual Tiblow Trot 24 KC Century Bike Ride Early September Events 2 23rd Annual Leawood Labor Day 5K 7 On Your Mark 7 Blue Valley Recreation Strut for the Streaks 7 Heartland Heat Triathlon 7 Maggi's Walk Against Meningitis 7 Royals Charities 5K 8 Broadway Bridge Run 8 Sass-MoKan 10th Annual Remembrance Walk